Saison-Brett, based on our very popular Tank 7, is assertively dry hopped, then bottle conditioned with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the “Brett” character, if that's what you're after.

Reviews by Jules11788:

More User Reviews:

A- I had heard you should pour this beer slowly and I'm glad I did as, even with a slow pour, the glass was mostly foam. A high pillowy white 4 finger head that sticks around. The beer is a bright yellow, good degree of clarity on the initial pour.

S- Big brett presence, with that earthy funk, nice lemon and grassy notes, getting even some spice and maybe just a touch of banana.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy lemon color with a blizzard of a head that retains like packed powder with clumps of foam sticking the the sides of the tulip glass

Smell: Grapefruit perfume, with undertones of green apple, lilacs, pear and hay, but the Brett, at this stage of the game, is underwhelming (re-visiting this beer, in May of 2010, shows that the grapefruit has faded and the Brett is becoming more prominent)

Taste: Sweet and floral, up front, with a biscuity base and a developing green apple sourness that is complemented by grapefruit tartness; after the swallow, the tart and sour flavors combine in a complex interweaving, but the sweetness up front never really dissipates; leathery undertones throughout (the tasting 15 months later displays far less sweetness, but a lovely dry, tart character)

Mouthfeel: Medium body with high carbonation

Drinkability: A terrific Saison that will be interesting to follow as it ages and the Brett does its work; for my palate, it is drinking beautifully right now (as it is after some age, though in a very different way)

Huge thanks to Mike for splitting this with me to break up some of the monotony of a mini-BCS tasting (hah!). Been on the "wants" list for a while now. Pours a heavily cloudy, almost completely opaque golden-yellow color with little bits of sediment raging about. The head is enormous - foamy, thick, and chunky, leaving fat patches of lacing huddled around the entire circumference of the glass.

I may have been ever so slightly inebriated at the time, but the first line in my notes for the aroma simply says, "...goddamn ridiculous amounts of Brett, funk, and barnyard..." and there really is no surprise there, given the name. Lots of soft bubblegum aromas, hay, wet wood; probably one of the funkiest things I've smelled. However, one of the beautiful things about this beer is that the Brett is still contempt in all of its power, and balanced by a nice inclusion of some light lemon and citrus zest and well as an earthy and grassy hop blanket. Spicy and funky, out of this world.

Much like the aroma, the taste is funkadelic as well. Plenty of barnyard and "horseblanket" flavors about, including lots of damp cellar, cork, and wood notes. Yeast resides in every corner with lots of clove and kitchen spices to it. Earthy, grassy, and herbal hops ride in and out on a wave of lightly toasted, bready malts. The hops seem to also carry a mild, white pepper flavor to them. Splashes of citrus peel and mildly tart lemon zest work the palate a bit, keeping things fresh. Awesome combination of fruity sweetness, earthy harshness, yeasty funkness, and and saison spiciness. The finish is ultra dry, as expected - medium bodied with ample carbonation.

Wow, I was expecting good things from this one and it certainly delivered. A funk-lover's wet dream in beer form. Despite the unadulterated amounts of funk, it never seems too harsh or too out of balance thanks to the numerous other flavor contributors. All-in-all, a very nicely crafted and well put together beer. Bravo.

The aroma is clean and refreshing with notes of lemon peel, tangerines, wheat crackers, mild brett and well integrated hop notes.

The taste is very refreshing with a gentle sweetness and a mildly tart complement. A light malty backbone is coupled with lovely fruit notes of lemon and tangerine. Clean brett aromas and well integrated hop notes. The finish is dry with a light bitterness to it and tart citric notes. No sign of the alcohol.

Moderate body, effervescent character.

A lovely beer - refreshing and easy to drink but still lots of character.

Reviewed from notes on 7/4/10. Bottle number 5558 of 13400 produced. No bottling date that I could find. I picked this up in St. Louis in March and have been cellaring it since.

A: A big, pillowy head of 3 fingers results from a medium pour into my snifter. The color of this beer is a magnificent golden wheat. Truly a beautiful hue. The head is tightly packed and thick and takes its time to recede. Said head has a sparkly look to it and it leaves dots and c-shaped curves as the lacing pattern. The volatile carbonation bubbles are racing to get to the top of the glass.

S: An amazingly fresh blast of well-balanced malt, hops, and the Brett yeast is my first impression. Soft, nearly sweet clove and coriander smells blend with a healthy dose of earthy, grassy hops and the funky, wild, sour character of the the yeast. There is some pepperiness evident, as well. The resultant cohesive aroma is reminiscent of a freshly plucked Granny Smith apple.

T: Ooh, very nice. Following from the smell, the bland of components add up to produce a very satisfying beverage. At first sip, the spicy tartness (almost pepper-tart-cherry-like) attacks the sides of my palate, while the sweetness of the malts sits heavy on my tongue. The hops finish out the taste with an earthy drying of the palate, while the cascading spicy sweetness breaks over the dryness.

M: Exciting. When just opened and decently cold, the carbonation is aggressive and enticing, spreading the goodness of the beer to all buds on my palate. I would say this is medium bodied in general, but with a heavy tart and spice presence. The tartness of the Brett pushes this MF all the way to the right of the dial for me.

D: The more I drink good Saisons, the more I fall in love with them. If available to me regularly, I would certainly drink this a lot over time. The spicy, tart fruit, hop combo in this beer really floats my boat.

Appearance- very pretty crystal clear deep gold with thick cap of rocky merangue head and sheets of lace. Would look awesome if not for the tons of floaters. Its like drinking a snow globe.

Taste- Frankly rather unpleasant. Dry and grainy phantom of what was once pils malt I'm sure. light notes of hey,citrus, and vanilla but man you really gotta get past the mouthfeel problems to notice. Not very bitter. Bone dry.

Mouthfeel- Hugely problematic. Medium-light bodied with palate-ripping astringency followed by searing alcohol heat. Effervescence not helping. When I try to hold this beer in my mouth to evaluate it, I feel like I am taking the Listorene challenge.

Overall- had big expectations of this beer but this is some angry angry brett. I have no idea why this needed to be an 8.5 percent beer but the alcohol is way over the top, solvent, and ruinous. Wouldn't even say it is sharp or acidic or really even very sour. It has none of the classic brett characters except a few notes I picked up in aroma. Undrinkable. I love Bouevard, Tank 7, and sour saisons but this is not good. Maybe I kept it too long, but it is vintage-dated and says "best by 2-2014". If others are having positive experiences with this beer than I suppose it is intended to be enjoyed fresh.

It seems Brett is making a home in nearly every adventurous brewery in the US. Look back a decade ago and most brewers would not even think of letting this tasty little nasty near their tanks.

This beer must get daily calls from Brussels wanting its lace back, perhaps the best lacing and head retention we've seen from an American-brewed beer. Slightly hazy, pale yellow-orange color. Smells of apple skin, musty basement, wild herbs and animal feed grain. Heavenly smoothness from a light, fluffy body. Flavors range from lemongrass to apple cider, hop oil to medicinal herbs, cracker graininess to faint black pepper. Needless to say, very complex. Alcohol drops in with that black pepper spice and some pear-like fruitiness, yet shows little warmth from its size, just more of a clean breath of alcohol. Finishes bone dry with some tart remnants.

As the cage was being taken off the cork explodes out like a shotgun flying and bouncing off the ceiling while beer begins to go everywhere. Thanks to quick reaction time not much was lost but there was no real warning! Pours a hazy goldenrod with a billowing 4 fingers of foam. Carbonation city here and it needs to sit awhile to calm down. Aromas are super spicy and peppery with fresh farmhouse character and smooth malts. Hops are well placed with a great Brett kick in the nose. Citrus accents work in as well. Damn good aroma that completely entices.

First sip brings earthy, spicy crisp malts upfront with lemon zest accents. The brew gets peppery in the middle with lightly funky farmhouse and Brett yeast that are vibrant and tasty. Citrus melds in and the whole flavor sticks with you after each sip. This is a quality saison here and the addition of Brett kicks it up a notch while not becoming overpowering at any stage. Just an awesome brew here.

Lots of carbonation in the mouthfeel that could have been taken down a few notches. Otherwise it is smooth and warming. Really glad I had a chance to sample this one thanks to Dave and glad no one got hit by the cork :-)